Commercial Appeal, January 5, 2006

Cordova Edition

By Shay Bader-Wallace
Special to Cordova Appeal

April Lancaster, 24, was crowned Miss Memphis 2006.

She will serve as the city's official ambassador and make numerous appearances next year, promoting her platform to support funding for children's hospitals.

She will compete in the Miss Tennessee Pageant in Jackson in June.

April is the daughter of Doug and Jo Anne Lancaster of Bartlett and is attending Northwestern University in her first year of the school's Master of Music program. She was the first young lady to be crowned Miss Cordova.

April is a former Top Teen finalist in the 2004 Miss Mississippi competition, when she was studying at the University of Mississippi and was a Top Ten finalist at Miss Tennessee in 2004.

The second runnerup was Kristine Quon, who attends Christian Brothers University. Kristine is an 2004 graduate of St. Benedict at Auburndale in Cordova.

Other runnersup were Brooke Poklemba, first alternate; Megan Burnett, third alternate; and Lamese Bakish, fourth alternate.

Brittney Card, 15, was also crowned as a Teen representative to be sent to the Miss America Outstanding Tennessee Teen competition, to be held in Jackson in March.

Shay Bader-Wallace is executive director of the Miss Tennessee and Miss Memphis scholarship pageants.